Mass. Legislature to weigh casino deal with tribe

BOSTON (AP) -- Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to formally ask the Legislature to approve a casino compact with a federally-recognized Massachusetts Indian tribe.

The agreement was approved Wednesday by the governor and the Mashpee Wampanoag tribal council. It calls for the state to receive 21.5 percent of gambling revenues from a casino the tribe hopes to build in Taunton.

Patrick will submit the compact to the Legislature on Thursday. Lawmakers have until July 31 to approve the agreement.

Meanwhile, a developer that hopes to build a commercial casino in New Bedford is warning lawmakers that the compact could result in southeastern Massachusetts being "frozen out" of the casino market for decades.

KG Urban Enterprises claims the Mashpee tribe is legally ineligible for the Taunton land under a previous U.S. Supreme Court decision.